TINY: A Story About Living Small

A documentary by Merete Mueller & Christopher Smith

The “tiny house” movement can be traced back at least as far as Henry David Thoreau, and the publication of his book, Walden.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,” Thoreau wrote, “to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Today’s tiny house movement is less concerned with leaving society to find solitary contemplation. But Thoreau’s ideal of simplifying life, considering which comforts and possessions can be done without in order to live a life that is “more deliberate” rings true for many Tiny House owners. Though they live on a smaller scale, most tiny house owners still commute to jobs every day. Some even have families.

Some are attracted to the mobile lifestyle, since most Tiny Houses are built on trailer beds and can easily be towed to a new location. Many thers like the idea of having a home, but without the mortgage payments and upkeep of a traditional house. Whatever the original motivation, the folks who make up this movement have come up with some inspiring designs and innovations for living comfortably and creatively in small spaces.

For the purposes of this documentary, the filmmakers define a “tiny house” to be a small building created with the specific intention of making a home. We’ve found some lovely examples of small houses built as art studios or guest houses on the grounds of other, larger homes, but have decided to limit this exploration to the way that small spaces shape a person’s primary dwelling place.

TINY is a documentary about home, and how we find it.

The film follows one couple’s attempt to build a Tiny House from scratch, and profiles other families who have downsized their lives into houses smaller than the average parking space.

Through homes stripped down to their essentials, the film raises questions about sustainability, good design, and the changing American Dream.